Duo Maxwell was known to be a man of many talents, mainly of the warfare persuasion. By the time he was fifteen, he was piloting one of five deadly mobile suits with skill that would make the most experienced soldier green with envy. He could assemble any high-grade military weapon in less than ten seconds, infiltrate any computer mainframe or facility virtually undetected, was an expert marksman, and — as he damn well knew it — was a definite catch for the ladies. Scoring a girlfriend ranked pretty high on his list of priorities once the war was over, and Duo knew beyond any doubt that he couldn't have done any better than Hilde Schbeiker.

Sure, they had an unconventional history, but as he had joked with Hilde before popping the question: it would be a good story to tell the kids.

Hilde had blushed and said yes, then she bopped him on the head for proposing to her while they stood on top of a scrap heap. "Seriously? No string quartet? You're lucky I love you, Duo Maxwell," she said with a grin, even as she held up her hand to admire the diamond ring that sparkled against the grease stains.

Everybody and their mother had protested that marrying at nineteen would be a disaster, but the God of Death was smart enough to know that if he delayed it, someone else would steal Hilde away. He knew it was love from the moment she risked her life for him and he was determined to hold on to that, no matter what they said.

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The wedding was a small affair, held in the garden of the Peacecraft Mansion. They said their vows under a gazebo, surrounded by their closest friends and allies, and Duo could have sworn that his best man was casting too many thoughtful glances at the blissfully unaware maid of honor. He vowed that after his honeymoon in the Bahamas (a gift from Quatre, bless his romantic Space Heart), Shinigami was going to retire his scythe in favor of Cupid's bow if only because he wanted Heero Yuy to stop making googly eyes at Relena Darlian from a distance and make googly eyes at her up close instead.

That was supposed to be the plan.

But barely three months after their wedding and a glorious honeymoon, Hilde was holding his hand as she sat on the toilet seat and in her other hand was a stick that told them both that their lives were forever changed.

Duo thought that he couldn't possibly love Hilde more, but she'd surprised him by the announcement that he was going to be a father. Suddenly, he felt over eight feet tall and his dreams were filled with little girls that had Hilde's gorgeous blue eyes, her button nose, and his hair.

His elation over the fact that he was going to soon have a mini-Maxwell running around was met with various reactions from his friends.

Heero listened with an indifferent air, but he left a huge binder on Duo's desk filled with articles on childbirth and parenting that he'd put together while Duo was blathering about Hilde's pregnancy.

When they managed to get in touch with Trowa, the tall man openly smiled and congratulated them, saying that he wouldn't miss the baby shower or the birth for the world.

Quatre was over the moon and immediately offered to shoulder all medical expenses so that they could keep saving up for the baby. By the end of the call, Quatre had also convinced them to schedule a doctor's appointment with his sister.

As soon as the news reached Wufei, he'd uttered a soft "God help us all" and took it upon himself to lecture the braided idiot about how this period of his life was going to test him as to whether or not he was truly a man of honor.

Whatever, Duo had scoffed. Nothing could burst his bubble, and despite some protestations (on Wufei's and Heero's parts), Baby Maxwell was going to have godparents.

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He very quickly realized that he'd have to get down from Cloud 9 and that all good things couldn't last. Apparently, being pregnant meant Duo had to hear awful retching noises at all times of the day when Hilde entered her first trimester. She was also difficult to feed now, turning her nose up at nearly everything she used to love. Afraid that his wife would die of starvation, Duo strode determinedly into their kitchen and tied Hilde's frilly apron around his waist, hoping that at least one of the dishes he cooked would be edible.

The result was scrambled eggs that were a touch too salty, but Hilde shocked him by cleaning her plate and asking for seconds.

His attempt at strudel was a joke in and of itself, but Hilde gobbled it up and smiled sweetly at him. "That was delicious, honey," she said, and then he felt that all was right in the world again.

Adapting and catering to her needs was a learning experience, and Duo wanted nothing more than to succeed at making sure the woman he loved was comfortable as her body changed. He followed her into the bathroom in the mornings, rubbing gently between her shoulders as she vomited and then fetching her a glass of water to rinse out her mouth. He cooked salty scrambled eggs and mastered the art of making weird strudel. He made sure that her back and legs were supported properly with pillows at night. He very happily complied when she was feeling amorous and he marveled at her new curves while they made love.

But he was not at all prepared for her mood swings.

Heero's research told him that hormonal changes were to be expected during pregnancy. There would be nausea, cravings, tiredness, and body temperature changes as the baby grew. Duo endured them all like a real trooper, up until Hilde's mood swings.

She cried over every little thing now — the color of his eyes, the insurance commercials on TV, Howard's Hawaiian shirts...

Duo wisely kept their stock of tissue paper full.

But then she started getting angry for no reason at all and that was when Duo's sanity cracked.

Talking about this new development with his colleagues was of no help. Heero merely shrugged and said that he should study all the material he'd compiled. Trowa echoed Heero's sentiments. In Quatre's defense, he was sympathetic where it counted, but he had little advice to offer other than to be patient. As usual, Wufei had a lot to say, and like the smug bastard that he was, taunted Duo about lacking honor if he was thinking of deserting his wife now.

It was that last comment of Preventer Chang's that got Duo fighting mad. With his jaw set, he silently vowed that he was going to make Justice Boy eat shit for belittling him.

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He'd taken to counting down the weeks leading up to Hilde's due date, even as he now walked on eggshells around her. The last thing he wanted was to be exiled to the couch from their comfortable king-sized bed and mini-fridge. "Be patient," he would tell himself often now.

A part of him realized that Wufei was right — this was a time that he would be sorely tested in his marriage. Having a child would alter his life drastically, and on nights that he would watch his wife sleeping next to him, Duo thought of Father Maxwell and Sister Helen. He thought of how happy they would be to know he was doing just fine, and that he was married to the most beautiful woman in the universe. He thought of his vows to Hilde: in sickness, and in health — "in all stages of pregnancy", he added silently.

Father Maxwell had told him that when he grew up and got married, the vows he would utter before God were absolute. Thus, he had to be certain that the woman he was pledging eternity to was someone who loved him as much as he loved her. The war had almost made him abandon his beliefs, but a part of him still held hope that things would get better. His wife was living proof of that, even if she complained that she missed seeing her feet and even if she was moodier than ever before.

Pregnancy, Duo realized, did little to diminish Hilde's strength. One particular morning, he was jolted awake by a hard punch on his arm.

"OW!" He cried out, rubbing his bicep as he squinted at the alarm clock on the bedside table. '3 AM. What the fuck...?'

Turning to Hilde, he found her giving him a ferocious glare that rivaled Heero's. "What did I do?" he demanded.

"You know what you did!" she yelled back and then proceeded to throw on her robe and waddle out of their bedroom.

Another time, he'd just sat down beside her on the couch and she shoved him.

"GO AWAY!" Hilde roared. "I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOUR FACE! OR YOUR STUPID BRAID!"

His jaw dropped in outrage and then he stood up once more. "FINE!" he roared back at her.

Duo turned to stomp off to the bedroom but nearly lost his balance when Hilde reached for his braid and yanked him back.

"Where the hell are you going?"

Duo stared at her. It was official: his wife had lost her mind.

"You just said you didn't want to see my face!"

"I don't want you to leave me, idiot!"

"Dammit, Hilde!" He shouted, now at his wit's end. "I don't know what you want anymore!"

She drew back as if he'd just struck her, and her eyes filled with tears. Almost immediately, the fight drained out of Duo and he bit his lip as he gently took her in his arms. "Christ, I'm so sorry, Hilde. I didn't mean—"

"Just shut up and hold me!" Her voice was muffled against his shirt and Duo noticed that her hands were gripping fistfuls of it as she cried. He held her that night, telling her that he loved her until she fell asleep with a smile playing on her lips.

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The wait outside the delivery room was agony for him. Sally had all but kicked him out after he'd second-guessed her far too many times, and now all he could do was sit and wait (and sometimes get up and pace) while the minutes ticked by. The hospital was too eerily quiet for his liking, and it made Duo itch. How long did it take to push a baby out? Would they even be able to get that thing out of Hilde? She was so small and her stomach had looked huge. What if something went wrong? What if—

"Maxwell, quit bouncing your knee, you're making me nervous," Wufei grumbled, leaning back against the wall with his arms folded across his chest. Duo pointed out that he was bouncing his knee, too — eliciting a scowl from Wufei.

Quatre smiled reassuringly at his comrade, giving him a gentle pat on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Duo. Sally is one of the most experienced doctors we know. Hilde and the baby will be fine."

"Ugh..." he groaned, holding his head in his heads.

Just when he made the decision to break the doors down, one of the nurses emerged to relay the news that Hilde had given birth to a healthy baby boy.

Before she'd even finished saying "boy", Duo had barreled past her and through the doors. He stopped short at the sight of Hilde lying in bed, exhausted but sporting a smile so radiant that his breath caught in his throat. In her arms was a tiny bundle that moved and Duo's legs almost gave out.

"Is that—?"

"Say hello to your Daddy, Jared Maxwell," Hilde said, pressing a kiss to the baby's forehead and then beckoning her husband to sit by the bed with a jerk of her chin.

Little Jared let out a little huff of breath, too comfortable in his mother's arms to notice that his father was tearing up.

For his part, Duo was stunned. His son had a full head of hair just like him, and his mother's cute button nose, her chin, and...

Jared opened his eyes and the tears Duo had been keeping at bay fell.

His son had eyes just like his.

Paying no heed to his comrades who were shoving their way in, Duo reached out to touch his son's nose, laughing when Jared grabbed his finger.

"Hey there, buddy. Welcome to the world," Duo whispered. "I've been waiting forever for you."

— END —